Concentration of ores



Patented Dec. 2,1930

enonenn. wieron, or Erma; UTAH PATENT OFFI E) concnncrna'rron or onns 80 Drawing.

This invention relates to the concentration of ores by flotation and is particularly applicable to the treatment of'those ores in which the valuable minerals occur entirely or-in a ores, becausejtheytend to reduce silver ex traction if enough sulfidizing agent is added to insure high. recovery of the base metals and a clean concentrate. Also, the consump-' tionof the sulfidizing agent on ores containing very much hydrated iron oxide is very high. Efiorts to float the oxidized minerals without sulfidizing, by using a reagent with a strong collecting action, like oleic acid, re-

' sult inflotation so non-selective that good A extraction and high grade concentrate are impossible to produce simultaneously.

This application is a continuation in part my application, Serial No. 287 ,349, led June 21,1928. 1 a

The presentinve-ntion is. based on the discovery that a class of compounds formed by the reaction} of amino compoundswith phosphorus pentasulfid are effective flotation agents, not only for the sulfid ,.minerals, but also for the oxidized minerals of gold, silver, lead and copper. While all the reconstructed amino compounds tried have shown the ability to float oxidized minerals, I have found the reaction products of phosphorus pentasulfid with aniline, orthotoluidinc and alpha naphthylamine, respectively, to give most 40 satisfactory results. T v

The reaction products of amino compounds with phosphorus pentasulfid are solids. In flotation operations it is advantageous to have-the reagents in a liquid condition in h order that they may easily and accurately be Application filed July 3,5192%). ,Serial, No. 375,892.

of the efiorts to float oxidized ores have in-' added to the flotation pulp. Consequently it becomes desirable to dissolve these solid reaction products in an inert solvent, such as benzol, for example. In some cases it may be preferable to dissolve the amino compound in an inert liquid hydrocarbon before reacting, it with phosphorus pentasulfid. .A liquid product may also be obtained byr acting a large excess of a liquid amino co pound" vwlth phosphorus pentasuliid or by reacting a solution of a' solid amino compound in a liquid amino compound with phosphorus pentasulfid. s p

The reaction product of phosphoruspentasulfid with a solution of alpha naphthylamine in ortho, toluidine gives particularly good results on the ore,with which I have been working, 'It may be prepared in the following manner: 7,

10 grams pulverized phosphorus, pentasulfid was slowly added to a solution of 40 grams alpha naphthylamine in 20 grams ortho toluidine, with constant stirringa Stirring was continued occasionally for one hour, at v the end of which time a brown translucent liquid resulted. The liquid was viscous but not enough so to prevent'satisfactory feeding of such a reagent in mill operations.

To illustrate the action of this compound, I results are iven of a test on oxidized ore from-the ureka Lilly mine. This ore is highly oxidized, containing only 0.2% sulfur. The ore was ground with water in a laboratory ball mill until it passed a 100' mesh screen. The pulp was then placed in a laboratory flotation cell and subjected to flotation operations. i

Reagents were added in four stages. Sodium'silicate solution was added to properly condition the pulp and to prevent excess frothing in the later stages? The compound "referred to above acted .both as collecting per ton added at each stage, stage covered a period of five minutes.

. Recc nstrucfied Sodium a apap BM time? dine.

matic amino compound with phosphorus pentasulfid.

8. An agent for use in flotation comprising the reaction product of alpha naphthylamine with phosphorus pentasulfid.

9; An agent for-use in flotation comprising the reaction product of hosphorus pentasulfid with a solution 0? .alpha naphthylamine in ortho'toluidine.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification this 27th day of June, 1929.

GEORGE H. WIGTON.

The results of the testwere as follows:

LPer cent l p Assay recoveries cent wt. y A u Ag Pb Ins- Au Ag Pb Ore 100.00 .217 3.22 13.50 69.4 Concentrate-.- 27.64 .42 8.0 41.5 32.4 53.38 6863 84.96 Tailing 72.36 ..14 L4 2.8 46.62 31.37 15.04

It will be understood that the foregoing is only a single example of procedure, and I do not wish the invention to be limited to this specific agent or method; Q a

I claim:

1. The process of concentrating ores by froth iflotation which comprises subjecting the ore in the form of a pulp to. a flotation operation in the presence of the react-ion product of an oxygen free aromatic amino flotation operation in the presence of the reaction product of alpha naphthylamine and phosphorus pentasulfid.

4. The process of concentrating oxidized ores by froth flotation which comprises subr I v jecting the ore in the form of a pulp to a flotationvoperation in the presence of the reaction product of phosphorus pentasulfid with a solution of'alpha naphthylamine in ortho tolui-dine. I

v 5. The process of concentrating oxidized ores by froth flotation which comprises subjecting the ore in the form of a pulp to a flotation operation in the presence ofv the reaction product of an oxygen free aromatic amino. compound with sulfur and phosphorus.

6. An agent for use in flotation compris -i ing the reactionproduct of an oxygen free aromatic amino compound with sulfur and phosphorus.

7. An agent for use in flotation comprising v the reaction product of an oxygen free aro- 

